2025-2026 Undergraduate Catalog

POLS 348 American Foreign Relations since 1895

A study of the history, evolution, and practice of American foreign relations from the end of the nineteenth century through today. A research paper is optional.

Credits

3

Prerequisite

Sophomore standing

Offered

Fall, odd years

Outcomes

  1. Students will gain an understanding of the formal and informal structure and processes of American foreign policy-making from the end of the 19th century to the present.
  2. Students will gain an understanding of American societal and elite attitudes towards foreign affairs in the American Century and beyond.
  3. Students will gain an understanding of the historical evolution of American foreign policy-making in a changing world.
  4. Students will gain an appreciation of the challenges and importance of foreign affairs for the U.S. from its emergence as a great power through the challenges of the 21st century.
  5. If the research paper option is chosen, students will develop research, writing, and critical thinking skills through an in-depth exploration of an issue of contemporary U.S. foreign policy concern.